Steam engine



Jan. 8, 1924.

v 1,479,891 M. BRUNET swam ENGINE Fil ed Aug- 17. 1921 Jan. 8, 1924. 1,479,891

M. BRUNET v STEAM ENGINE Filed Aug. 17, 1921 'SShQBtS-Shflt 2 Fin-a5. 7'14. 5. Tia. 4.

52 mat/ml will/annually I (IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII4 Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

entries srn'r es rarest mAURIcEBnUNEr, F LIEGE, BELGIUM, sssrenon'r olvrarson nna'rrtnnux', -soorfirir ANONYME, or LIEGE. BELGIUM.

s'rnaia ENGINE;

Application filed August 17, 1921. Serial 1%.? 493,105.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, B/LiURion'BnnNEr, a subject of the-King of the Belgians,' res1d ing at Liege, Belgium, 84 Rue Sur-La-Fon tame, have invented certain Improvements m or Relatin to'Steam Eng1nes,ofwh1ch the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in or relatingto steam engines of the compound type, and more particularly to a particular IIIBClllIHSHIfOI the distrlbutlon of the steam through the valves, which coni prises a device for the modification of the distribution allowing-"thense in the large" 'cylinder ofeither live steam or steam evacuated from the smallcylinde'r, accordingthat high power or a reduced power is required.

The improved valve-distribution mechanisni according to the present invention is" more particularly designed for use in compound system engines driven'by high pressure steam produced for instance in anin stantaneous vaporization generator, and the steam engine,"embodying the said media-- nism, which Wlll'bO described hereunder by way of example therefore-comprises some special arrangements, mainly iii-order to avoid the escape of steam of the joints of the piston rods with the bottoms of the cylinders, but it must be understood that the invention is in'no Way limited to engines using steam at very high pressures or com-' prising the said special arrangements In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a verticallongitudinal section of a compound steam engine embodying the improvements forming the subject matter of the present invention. 4e Fig. 2 is partly a plan and partly a horizontal section of the said engine, said section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Y Figs. 4c, 5, 6 and 7 are vertical sections taken respectively on the lines 4-4:, 55, 6-6, 7-7 of Fig. 3.

Fig. .8 is a horizontal section talrenon the'line 88 of 3.

path followed by the steam in the two conditions of working the engine.

Fig. 111 is a partial horizontal section 5 taken on the line ll ll of Fig. Land Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrams indicating the Figs'lQ and 13 are cross sections "taken onthe lines 12'-12and 1313 'of Figl 11" respectivelyf I H In the embodiment illus'trateolfiri"the ao companying drawings, '1 :andflf'areth' suf-f perposed cylinders of: each pairfofcyl'in ders, olosed'at the backby mea'ns ofsolid bottoms 3 and 4 and at the front by means of ahollow casting-5 which is bored in 6"aiitl7 to allow the passageof the piston rods 8 and 9. g V

In'order to'preventany escape' f'of steam, the said rods"are"provided with packings 10, and the pistons 11 and 12 in thj e cylin dersare provided With'paclrings 13. v

At thefront of the castings e the jpis ton'flrods 8 and 9 pass: through glandslor f stuffing boxes lt and are secured at the-j end to a common cross piec'e 15 in slide-Ways 16 solid with thecasting's'e." To, the centre of the cross-piecef lfi is pivotally connected the connecting rod 17 which transmits the'motion of thefpis tons tothe" crank'18 of the crank shaft 19) ings 20 of the crank shaft are mounted ina crank shaft 21 forming an oil bath/midd e which the" castings?) are hermeticallyfunitedf The live steam is brought to each pair of Thefbear cylinders by means of pipe 28 and is distributed' bymeans of f a set of lvalves of which the axis are all arranged parallel to the axis of the cylinders, and whicli are mounted in a single casting 29 farming a 37 also for this large cylinder, an auxiliary admission valve '38 permitting to send live der, two admission valves. 34 and '35bforlth e large cylmder, two exhaustwalves 36a n d" steam to the admission vz tlvesfof the"large"? cylinder, an auxiliary exhaust valve lowingto get-the exhaust steam from the exhaust valves'of the small cylinder to go" directly to the atmosphere (or in -some cases" to a condenser), and finally a check valve 40 serving to' prevent live steambroug'htito the admission valves ofthe large cylinder'ito reach the exhaust of the small cylinderll v p The chambers or compartmentscontain Ingthe said valves'are all' placed on hne of the casting 29 and are closed 'by'meanisj' of threaded stoppers 4:1'fwhichf malyfeasily? be removed for the inspectionandthe cleari' 'ing 'o'f the valves. All the valve rods '42 are directed towards the other side of the said casting 29 and are provided with series of circular grooves 43 to prevent the escape of steam where they pass in the bores 44 of the casting 29 they are subjected to the action of closing springs 45 and their inner ends are adjustably connected to pushers 46, 47 and 48 which are guided in bushings suitably arranged in the crank shaft 21 (Figs. 1 and 2). Before describing the distribution mechanism which acts on the said pushers to open the various valves in the manner and in the order of succession required the connections of the valves between themselves and with the cylinders, and then their operation will firstly be indicated.

The chambers 50, 51 and 52 containing the valves 30, 31 and 38 continuously receive live steam supplied by the pipe 28; for this purpose they communicate between them by means of passages 53 in one of which the said pipe has its opening. The opening of the valve 30 allows the steam to pass in a 2 chamber 54 which is connected through a passage 55 to the back part of the small cylinder, and also through a passage 56 to the chamber 57 of the exhaust valve 32.

Just the same the opening of the valve 31 allows the steam to pass to a chamber 58 which is connected by means of a passage 59 to the front part of the small cylinder and also, by means of a passage 60 to the chamber 61 of the exhaust valve 33.

The lifting of one or the other of the valves 32, 33, allows the steam to pass in a passage 62 which leads to the chamber 63 of the valve 39, and when the latter valve is open it allows in its turn the steam to pass in a passage 64 which leads to the atmosphere or in some cases to a condenser.

This same chamber 63 communicates by means of a passage 65-with the valve 40 so that, when the latter is lifted, the exhaust steam of the small cylinder arrives in the corresponding chamber 66 and from there passes to the chambers 67 and 68 of the valves 34 and 35 by way of passages 69.

The valve 34 when opened allows the steam to pass from the chamber 67 in a passage 70 which leads to the chamber 71 of the exhaust valve 36, which chamber also communicates by means of a passage 72 with the back part of the large cylinder. Similarly, the valve 35 when opened allows steam to pass from the chamber 68 to a passage 73 which leads to the chamber 7 4 of the valve 37, which chamber also communicates with the front part of the large cylinder through a passage 75.

The lifting of one or the other of the valves 36, 27, results in putting the respective chambers 71, 74 into communication with an exhaust duct 76 which leads to the atmosphere. Finally when the auxiliary valve 38 is open, the high pressure steam of the chamber 52 is allowed to pass through a passage 77 into the chamber 66 of the valve 40.

The operation of the valves is as follows:

1. Normal working with expansion of the steam successively in the two cylinders. The auxiliary admission valve 38 is kept closed, the auxiliaryexhaust valve 39 is also kept closed and the check valve 40 is, on the other hand, kept open.

The admission and exhaust valves 30 to 37 of the two cylinders 1 and 2 are then operated alternatively so as to distribute live steam alternatively to the two sides of the small piston, to distribute the exhaust steam of the small cylinder alternatively to the two sides of the large piston and to direct the exhaust steam of the large cylinder towards the atmosphere. The path followed by the steam is then that shown on Fig. 9, as follows:

so, n, 55, 1, 55,56, 57 51, 58, 59,1, 59, 60, 61

2. Working with full power with simultaneous admission of high pressure steam in both cylinders.

The auxiliary admission and exhaust valves 38 and 39 are kept open and the check valve 40 is kept closed.

The valves 30 to 37 are operated in the same manner as before and the bifurcated path followed by the steam is then that shown on Figure 10, as follows:

50- 54, 55, 1, 55, 5e, 57 2s 51 5s, 59, 1, 59, 60, 61

52 77 66 e7,70,71,12,2,72,71 cs,73,74,75,2,75,74

To pass from one mode of operation to the other it is thus sutlicient to alter simultaneously the position of the three valves 38, 39, 40, without modifying anything to the control of the valves 30 to 37.

This result is obtained by the shifting in a longitudinal direction of the non-rotatable cam member 78 (Figs. 11, 12 and 13) which is mounted in the upper part of the crank shaft and which acts on the inner ends of the pushers 48 corresponding to the valves 38. 39 and 40.

Finally, as to the control of the distribu tion valves themselves 30 to 37, it is in the present embodiment arranged in such a manner as to allow to modify gradually the degree of admission in the cylinders from zero to a given maximum and to reverse the direction of the distribution by means of a simple continuous shifting of a pair of rocker-shafts 85, 86, in a manner which will be further described hereafter.

To this effect the pushers 46 corresponding to the valves 30, 32 controlling the admission to and 34, 36 controlling the exhaust from the part of the small and large cylinease?! are ,meiinted, niithe; crank shaft so; as a to be able transversely. in relation .to. the assent thecylinders. and the. valves Each of; thej'i roe;

slated a the 'crankshattl" "11h f'camjsha'ft 89 is operatively connected to thjetlrivingfshait 19 in ill l f a series of gea gwheels 90,191,952; a dje'a and h as pairs of. cams th'a l' tlieire are rockers on, eaChI 0r any o epftl e roclze l -shaft s "lilachgfpair v of, cams ,cornprises. v a earn for dri ii gl, for-w ard 9r; and l a cam ondrlv ng backvvardfl; which" arfpla ced on one side and th' elother iof ran int'erniedi ate cylindrical ceiitricityf in a fdifflier e'nt, direction, starting froin' the'said cylindrical eec nceamc na' ,r a a.

The rockers (see Fig. 2,) v are, alhmaintained )tepwgepeonarser fixed onfthe shafts 85 and-86 so that they. hafireito folloiif thei longitudinal -shif tings. 'ofiithe latter,[which arej obta'ined by; o er ing; at t a distance I through. any suitablemeans a jtransvcfsflpieee 98 (see;F igs.I Q'an'd I1) iwhich -forms afrigid fits at ee.

n e n et e'theeel ive. he of their ends, so that .w hen the e ti a parallel; w fl i n' hgitudine axis, that is to say. either in the ,directionjnted athe MF W, 3 ifl 'fhiop'p'osite direction.

In the position shown on the draw ing all the rollers 88 are on the concentrie parts 96 of the camshaft so that during the rotation of the latter the rockers do not move and the valves 30 to 37 remain closed. The power of the engine is then nil.

It the shafts 85 and 86 are shifted in thewhich results in the engine being driven for-' Ward.

On the other hand if the shafts 85 and 86 are shifted in the opposite direction the rollers 88 come onto the cams 95 and the rocking levers oscillate so as to operate the valves he, e i sbf e ke slw, e 1

eifs is provided with j a a nose 2 87. Pu h e; Pusher JQPP-QS fi h Q ibis s i f 6th wi h 7 1 g h i hi its s contact a with a; camshaft I mounted in mes wea het ee ine is beinsd irenl bew re It illih'e Qbyiwe hat the PQFYehQ-ia ha n ne seri s awa d n be he "a le eloo ii es st lls Shafts :83? we wreaths-rates: are lifted; so much more a a .Sfihe makers, a e a t d: u ih pei' si t iereasinae ee te cli y a a H gi lls' h i haitt liis-ml l Sea s-moved. l-sea ie tians-the q henth t aneisz w hee admitted. i thfi-3ht 1l7 p t -r eie de e hichib" Omesh gh reethee 1 ns-O hew dshafiaprog es es Asthacam member 78r is at, one. end rigidly coupled with the-sha ts; 5, nd 86-1=byi=meaas tetr ransve se-p e e.271 (eeeEig 4 Wh h-With 1 9.: R 99? .93 B I1 f -;-t 32 91 2; ams 1a .0111 s ted malt onne tion; between heathre hafts? 7a85en1 6 so t at t-heytallihavetofl ev tjq ntly n hed ee ien Qifr heirgzlongirr 8 ld sna leeis- Whenei her -=pie e 275 1151 112; Pie e &is0pemted as sqoniasthe, shafts 8 5i nd; e rs/ arr d in direction thescam. 1nernber 78 (Figures-l1, t12,-and,13 is 1also,

m0v d, b u hecamscatriedtherebyearesepqsa 1P0 sitiqned thatthey arenot-bronghtdnteaction until its shiftinghas: reacheda certainjpoint and it is only ivhen the s-hiftinglv'qfilg he haf 8e, amass s Sashaha fil h maker have-reache-a-poin o the, ams oi the flfi i i a i a a l y hii e it en z herl Qng ld nfil y;m9"? 98 is .operated, the .two shafts ;l1a VQ l10 move jointly and simultaneously 5 in aUdib e rek r-shetts t t86ambummer- 8. ysh ftins' the joi tlyenel gsri eultaneoiis y ists O as ents. :lev 9 tp et di-atvl Q in su teb e. b aq et- 19 ared i onthe anks se the s id vel: .itsendzc nnec ecl 11o lme kn i /P iY 0 UP..- zthQ- tree-ea braqketili lwbe l s.ipr vitlesl With-an in egral sector shaped member 103 having a number of notches cut therein for the engagement of the usual spring pressed locking member of the lever. As the transverse piece 98 forms a rigid connection between the two rocker-shafts 85 and 86, and as one of said rocker-shafts (85 in the embodiment illustrated) is further rigidly connected to the cam member 78 by means of the piece 27, it will be readily understood that the operation of the single lever 99 will result in causing the rocker shafts 85 and 86 and the cam 5 member 78 to move together all three jointly and simultaneously.

The means provided for shifting the rocker shafts 85, 86 and'the cam member 7 8 may, however, take any form other than that illustrated, the particular type and construction of said means being immaterial to the invention and forming no part thereof.

The noses 87 of the rockers have a sufficient length to be able to act on the respective pushers in all the positions which may be given to the shafts 85 and 86. Two of the rockers 79 and 82 operate the admission valves 30 and 31 of the small cylinder; two others, 80 and 83 operate both the exhaust valves of the small cylinder and the admission valves of the large cylinder; finally the two rockers 81 and 84c operate the exhaust valves 36 and 37 of the large cylinder.

The arrangement of the valves in several vertical and horizontal rows as shown allows their grouping in a very restricted amount of space and the arrangement of their operating mechanism in a very convenient manner. However, the arrangement of the various valves'may be altered without departing from the principle of the invention with respect to the relations of the valves between them and with the cylinders, and particularly the use of the auxiliary valves 38, 39 and 4:0, for altering the conditions under which the engine is running.

TI claim:

In a valve distribution mechanism for compound steam-engines comprising high and low pressure cylinders, the combina tion of a set of admission and exhaust valves, suitably guided spring -influenced valve rods for said valves, a longitudinally fixed rotary main camshaft, cams on said camshaft composed of two portions arranged to control the said valves for forward and backward drive respectively, said cams increasingprogressively in eccentricity from nil to a maximum in opposite directions from their adjacent ends, a pair of longitudinally slidable rocker-shafts-extending parallel to the main camshaft, a set of rockers on each rocker-shaft, having one of their ends in operative contact with the main camshaft and the other end in operative contact with the said spring-influenced valverods, a set of auxiliary valves for controlling the distribution of live steam to the adk mission of the low pressure cylinder and the discharge of the steam from the exhaust of the high-pressure cylinder respectively, suitably guided springinfiueneed valve-rods for said auxiliary valves, a non-rotatable but longitudinally movable cam-member, extending parallel to the rocker-shafts and main camshafts andhaving the free ends of the lastnamed valve-rods bearing thereon, a rigid connection between the rocker shafts and the said non-rotative cam-member, a single operating lever, cooperating with said rigid connection, for imparting jointly and simultaneously alongitudinal movement to the pair of rocker-shafts and ,a corresponding longitudinal movement to the non-r0 tative cam-member, and a set of suitable cams on the said cam-member for operating the aforesaid auxiliary valves to admit live steam to the low-pressure cylinder and allow the discharge of the exhaust steam of the high-pressure cylinder, said cams being positioned on each side of a neutral seems to become operative only when, by the joint longitudinal movement of the respective rockershafts, the aforesaid rockers have reached a point of the corresponding cams of the main camshaft, on either side of said neutral, of suitably predetermined eccentricity in accordance with the fixed per'centage of cut-oil above which live steam should be admitted to the low-pressure cylinder, whereby the movement of the aforesaid single lever will produce at will driving in one direction and the other at any desired per cent of cut-off and automatically cause the exhaust steam of the high-pressure cylinder to be replaced by live-steam in the low-pressure cylinder when the percentage of cut-oif reaches the aforesaid predetermined value substantially as described.

In testimony thereof I signed hereunto my name in the presence of two witnesses.

v MAURICE BRUNET. Witnesses: I

ERNSPURZ, Dn'rmmm, 

